Chaeles toope



(No Modem v G. TO0PE. FIRE moor CEILING. ,No. 334,996. Patented Jan. 26,1886.

- WITNESSES? 'INVENTOR 75 4' 247/65 30 66 ATTORNEYS UNITED. STATES PATENT CHARLES 'TOOPE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

FlRE-PROQF CEELENQ' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334.996, dated Jannary 26, 1886.

Application filed May 28, 1885. Serial No. 166,963. (No model.) Patented in England May 6, 1884, No. 7,342.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Beit known that I, CHARLES TOOPE, formerly 'of New'York, N. Y., a citizen of the United States, now residing at London, En gland, have invented new and useful Improvecombination of parts fully pointed out in the Figure-'llis a vertical cross-section of afloor "and ceiling embo'dyi'iig'my' invention when following specification and claims, and illusapplied'to a floor built with'the ordinary wooden floor-beams. Fig. 2 is a vvertical cross-section showing the floor and ceiling, in

the construction of which ironbeams are 'em- I Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

Inthe drawings. referring for the present especially to Fig. 1, which shows a door built -with wooden joists or timbers, the letters ac,

J&c.', designate fillets which I nail along each sideof the joists at the lower edge to support the blocks or slabs b b. These blocks or slabs bare'molded in the forms shown, and of such width that three slabsthat is to say, the twoslabs b and a central slab, b will bridge -.-over the. space between twojoists and fit to- :gether, as jshowm; The slabs -b adjacent to the joists are moldedw-ith a rabbeted grooved edge, to adapt them to fit on the fillets a of a wooden joist; or the lowerflangaa, of an iron girdr-or'jjoist, Fig. 2, and extend under the same as fai'jas the center 'lineand rise up the side of the. same above the fillet or flange, the

thickness above and below being sufficient to support the weight. of the slabs or blocks, and

tofi 'a'rotect the'joi'stfrom fire, and afford nailholdifor; the lath and plaster. The outer edge and-"the edges of the central block or slab are .preferablyrabbeted, so'asto form an indented joint,fas shown .but -thejoint may be" oblique,"

like that ofyan "ordinary fiat"arjch,1if desired.

:In; order to strengthen the; block or 'slab where itfi ts-the fillet a or flange of thegir'der,

the accompanying drawings, in

U-shaped pieces of metal, d, are embedded in the material at suitable distances apart at the time of molding, and the blocks or slabs next to the girders or joists are made of greater thickness than the center blocks or slabs, b.

The central slab is placed between thelateral ones after the latter have been placed in position on thejoists or girders, and the joints between them, as well as the joints beneath the joists or girders,are cemented with a fireproof cement composed of pipe-clay and silicate of soda, (mixed in suitable proportions to forma cement,) to make a tight joint and prevent the passage of heat and smoke. The slabs, which might conveniently be made in lengths of from one to three feet, simply butt joint and are cemented, with the same fireproof cement. "After the slabs are placed in position the lower side is, if'required, lined or coated with asbestus sheeting, the said sheeting being cemented to the slabs with the above-described cement. ing may afterward be nailed to the slabs. The fire-proof slabs are applied in a similar way to rafters and to the studs of partitionwalls. 1

In applying the slabs beneath the wooden flooring. to protect the joists from burning downward, they may be jointed together in the same way, and are supported on planks a, resting on the joists or girders, as shown in The ordinary lath- Fig. 2; but in case of warehouses, &c., these fire-proof slabs or blocks may themselves constitute the floor or wearing-surface without the ordinary wood flooring.

The blocks or slabs may be-made of any suitable fire-proof material; but by preference I manufactureathe same from a mixture of silicate cotton or asbestos fiber, or fossil meal, (or a mixture of the three,) and. a solution of silicatejof soda and pipe-clay, in any suitable proportion. I I g i In manufacturing the blocks ,1 mix eight pounds of pipe-clay with about eight gallons of water, and add to this mixture about one gallon of silicateof soda,.andl thenadd. sili- .cate cotton or asbestus fiber (ora' mixture of 'thetwo) to form a plastic massy'j The whole is thoroughly incorporated ina pug-mill or otherwise. The material is thenramme'd into f I molds of the desired shape, and the blocks or.

slabs turned out are baked in ovens at a temperature of about 175 Fahrenheit until they are thoroughly dry;

The blocksor slabs may be coated with asbestus sheeting or asbestusblocks o1 slabs to give them a smooth surface, which sheeting is cemented to the'slabs by a cement composed of silicate of soda and pipe-clay.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fire-proof ceiling, the combination,

with joists or girders having flanges or fillets,

of solid coherent blocks or slabs of fire-proof material, rabbeted to engage with said fillets or flanges and with one another, and the U- shaped metal strips d, embedded in said blocks, substantially as described.

silicate of soda, substantially as described.

'handand seal in the presence of two subscribg ing witnesses.

- CHARDES (Doors; [1 s. 1 l

Witnesses:

H. NEWMAN, J. B. WATT, a

Consulate General, US. A London. 

